Exploring Millennial Tourists' Interaction with Destination Stakeholders: A Study on Sri Lanka's Tourism Industry

Abstract

This study examines millennial tourists' characteristics and travel behaviour in an Island destination like Sri Lanka. Specifically, this study attempts to understand the millennial travellers' interaction with various formal and informal stakeholders in the tourism industry in Sri Lanka and how such interactions are influenced by their unique characteristics. A qualitative approach was used for data collection, involving in-depth interviews with 17 millennial tourists. The data was analysed through thematic analysis, identifying codes and themes. Some of the key characteristics of millennial tourists identified in this research are their price consciousness, preference for independence, thirst for authenticity, and the interaction with the local community. Further, this study identified the specific stakeholders millennial tourists interact with during a tour and revealed their inclination to interact more with the informal sector than the formal sector stakeholders in the tourism industry. This research offers valuable insights to tourism service providers, destination management organisations, and other stakeholders in the tourism industry on how to adapt and customise the tourism experience to cater to millennial travellers, who are becoming a dominant segment of global tourism.